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Tembisa golfers are lions on Leeuwkop course

Joint winner Lebo Makume won the Leeuwkop Country Club competition of July 5.

With the major Lamb competition postponed to August 12, golfers from the Tembisa Golf Club (TGC) had to go and tackle the leafy and forest-like Leeuwkop Country Club course on August 5.

According to the general secretary, Benjamin Monyanyedi, the golf course was playing long, as always, and with the August winds howling from the east and west, conditions proved very difficult and tricky for the golfers.

Lebo Makume partnered with Ashwin Gourbhodan and they proved too good on the day. They posted 43 points, which was enough for them to win the TGC competition.

However, since two other four-balls could not finish their scheduled 18 holes, the competition had to be decided over the first nine holes.

The two pairs each carded nine-hole scores of 22 points and that was enough to beat the field, which attracted eight junior golfers from the Harry Mthembu stable in Ivory Park.

“It was refreshing to see so many youngsters coming from the TGC development programme participating. What is more humbling was that most of these youngsters had no one from their families playing or even ever having participated or taken interest in the game of golf. Credit must and does indeed go to our development coaches in the likes of Mthembu, Serongoane and Molepo. These gentlemen continue delivering very promising youngsters.

“Very soon at the rate at which they are going we will definitely have more Laurissen Mahlangus in Tembisa. Mahlangu is so far the only professional golfer of substance to have come from our township, and that is expressed tongue-in-cheek as indeed he still competes in the seniors professional tour and he does very well.

“Recently he was hovering somewhere between being in the top three and top five, and that is not an easy tour since it has the likes of the John Blands, the Chris Williams and the ever-so-hot Bobby Lincolns of this world, amongst others,” said Monyanyedi.

“Therefore, for us as TGC we are continuing with the dream that we will one day produce a Tiger Woods in the Kasi who will be able to compete in the regular Sunshine Tour,” he added.

Monyanyedi said this coming weekend, August 12, will see TGC golfers vying for the much-anticipated Lamb competition, which amounts to a winner-takes-all event.

“Interestingly, the format of the game will be one where every participating golfer will be deemed a professional scratch golfer temporarily, until after completion of their round. Then their handicaps will be added to their points, to arrive at their totals for the day. We can see fireworks coming. So many are favourites come Sunday, but no one is an outright favourite for that competition as it will be played in that format for the first time,” he added.

Monyanyedi said all are invited to come and play irrespective of club membership, as long as they have golf clubs and can play the game.